Read Online An Unstill Life by Kate Larkindale - Free Book Online Page A

mashed potatoes didn’t look appetizing even before Hannah’s story about Ms. Garden’s nose picking. Mel leaped to her feet, and before I had a chance to do anything more than register her reaction, she was gone.
    “She’s pissed, right?” Hannah’s eyes were huge.
    “Disappointed, I guess.” I looked toward the doors.
    “But she has a date with Eddie. She’s excited about it.”
    I sighed. Didn’t she get it? Eddie was the consolation prize, not the first place ribbon. And Mel liked to win.
    Hannah frowned and picked at her salad.
    “Maybe I should go see if she’s all right.” Without waiting for an answer, I tossed my nearly full tray onto Mel’s abandoned one and followed her out of the room.
    I looked up the empty hallway, searching for Mel. Behind me, doors opened and shut, letting out bursts of gray-blue noise. Where had she gone? After a moment’s thought, I turned left and headed to the heavy fire door that opened onto the quad. It was instinct that led me. For all I knew, she’d gone home. Watching that exchange between Hannah and Sam had to have hurt. I wouldn’t blame her. But I knew how much Mel hated her home.
    I wandered out into the quad, the intense sunlight forcing me to squint. So much for fall. I longed for last night’s chill as sweat sprang out on my back. I squirmed as it tickled its way down my spine. With no clear destination in mind, I wandered along the path between buildings until I reached the athletic fields. A few groups of people were dotted around—the classes who had gym while we had lunch, I guessed. From the far side, the shrilling of a whistle sent bolts of angry red shooting through my head. I turned that way and saw the cheerleaders bouncing around, their short skirts flapping around their legs.
    Jules should have been there. I watched Jenna march down the row, pulling girls into the proper formation. Her mouth was wide as she yelled orders. My stomach clenched. It should have been Jules. I pictured her, red-faced from screaming, the whistle swinging arcs from her neck as she demonstrated what she wanted. In full drill sergeant mode, Jules was more than intimidating. A dark cloud of anger dropped over my head. It wasn’t fair. Jules had already suffered through this once. What kind of world would make her do it again? My teeth ground together so hard my jaw ached. Forcing myself to look away, I took a deep breath.
    I wiped stinging sweat from my eyes and focused on a single figure running around the track.
    Whoever was doing the running was on the far side of the track, too far away from me to see properly, but I was sure it was Mel. She wasn’t dressed for running. As the figure drew nearer, I became certain. I hurried toward the track, reaching it just as Mel sprinted by. Her sandals made a slapping sound on the rubberized surface.
    “Mel!” I yelled her name, but she appeared not to hear me, dashing past, face scarlet, breath huffing in and out in audible puffs. I watched her pass by. Her pale blue T-shirt clung to her back, sweat staining it darker in large blotches. Her jeans hampered her stride, and she ran without the grace she usually displayed. “Mel!” I called again, hurrying after her. It was too hot to run, and even if it hadn’t been, I knew I could never catch up with her.
    But I ran anyway. I didn’t know what else to do.
    Before I made it a quarter of the way around the track, I had to stop. I doubled over, gasping, my clothes glued to me. How did Mel do this day after day? How was she doing it in sandals and jeans?
    “Mel!” I screamed as she passed me. This time she hesitated, her foot stuttering on her stride, her pace slowing a fraction. I took advantage and pushed off again, joining her on the weird rubbery surface. I wouldn’t be able to keep up long, so I hoped I could get her to stop.
    “You’re going to kill yourself,” I gasped. “Or me.”
    “You didn’t have to come after me.”
    “Yeah? You didn’t have to run off like